| Show IN WEST VIRGINIA though peace and prosperity generally prevail in the west virginia conference and the elders here are an usually the recipients of the kindness and hospitality for which the southern people are justly noted yet we are not entirely free from those scenes of lawlessness which have disgraced too many of the states of our great union A few months ago two of the elders visited the county seat of one of the counties in which they were laboring while at a store there purchasing some articles a man entered and re requested them to go with him to another store where he said a dispute desput e was going on about the I 1 mormons cormons Mor mons or utah and he wanted the brethren to decide it after a short delay the elders proceeded to the place indicated but instead of having a problem to solve they found themselves surrounded by a mob of armed men one ne of the number told the eldero aldei they must leave the town the elders inquired on what grounds do you make your demand we have not disturbed the peace of this commile community 3 nor in any way infringed ri I 1 aged u upon we n t the e laws of the town or state we are american citizens and are entitled to the protection of all good men until we break the law and then we are amenable to the law we dont believe in your doctrine was the reply what is our doctrine asked the elders this somewhat checked the for mormonism Monnon ism had not yet been expounded in that locality all they knew of it was what they had gleaned from the lying accounts with which the country is flooded we dont know anything about your doe doctrine triDe stammered the leaie of the gang and we dont want to know anything only you men must leave this is the case with nearly all those who oppose mormonism siu I 1 like the mob who rushed with pauls companions into the theatre the cemore more part know not what they are howling about it is probable bable that not a man in the mob probable tro knew new just why he wanted the elders to leave one of them would occasionally draw out a large butchers knife and slip his thumb along the edge as if testing the keenness of the blade he would leer upon the brethren like a veritable shylock shy lock thirsting for blood finding it useless to waste words with such unreasonable people the elders walked leisurely away to seek a more congenial spot A few weeks after this incident the following paragraph appeared in the newspaper published in the town where it occurred several mormon elders are we understand holding services in the school house in fayette county if the people of this state possessed the grit and backbone that the citizens of this thia place do mormon elders would make themselves scarce an n this coun try several weeks ago two of these edders were notified by parties residing here that if they did not absent themselves in ten minutes they would leave wearing a L coat of tar and feathers athera re further warning was not necessary this presents a mournful spectacle e acta in our beloved land of religious lous toleration and liberty an armed mob in broad cayll daylight lit drive from the town two men atom whom they were compelled to acknowledge and wh who 0 had conducted themselves as gentlemen A newspaper the duty of which should be to defend the constitution ution and uphold justice and liberty takes sides with a mob encourages cou rages lawlessness and applauds the actions of men who if the law were to take its course would serve a term in the penitentiary the same paper also published an account headed mormonism 99 from which the following extracts are taken we print below by request of the members of the clear creek literary society a copy of an article adopted by said society which is mighty interesting reading for several months past the mormon elders having been among us disseminating their false doctrines and teaching and well knowing the danger of their errors and practices to society and our people we the members of the clear creek literary society present the elders with the fol lowing following indictment and request them to leave our district yon von have disseminated false doctrines our people you have among held them as exile exiles iii in ii a western land you have treated them as slaves of a bonded faith you have squandered their property reduced them to want and required of them tithes and high taxes you have compelled infants to kill their own mothers because they aftem attempted vou ted to escape from your territory you keep constantly on the road spies and detectives to prevent your dis people arm from leaving and exposing your rimes crimes c 11 the people at home will smile at such nonsense as this and it will wib seem to them impossible for any ady sane salle person to entertain belief in W such stuff for a single moment yet there are people here who while exhibiting more than ordinary intelligence on other mattery mattel say they believe these statement and spread them abroad as facts the article from which the above extracts are taken was sent to the elders by the so called literary Lice society asa As a result of the publication of oi y these falsehoods and numerous nume rouB other untrue statements ciraula cir circulated cula by our enemies frequently from pulpits by christian Chriatian ministers mini stert steM mobs have been organized in tb tho neighborhood of fayette chuili ty on the evening of feb auary the elders laboring that county were warned that a mob had prepared to call for the thelo that night after dark the brethren left the house at which they WOM w staying and went through tb tw woods to a strangers resident res resident ideno where they were kindly entertained in keeping with the warning mob visited the place the eldero left and searched it but in vain w the elders were at that time 0 bering peacefully several didieo away the robbers posted up the following notice I 1 we i a hereby fy the thormon mormon tM ormon preachers that oboy must leave raleigh county within www of twenty four hours from the date 01 to this notice or we e will hang theas s a tree given under our hands this the night of february VIGIL COMMITTEE P S we further notice you tag ehg you vou must not stop within the state of W va the brethren continue coati nue to attend to their labors ha havron g MY waro friends and some earnest invest tors in fayette county shortly after this while while the brew rw ren were at the house of a they saw a band of men with tap 1 ened faces advancing stealthily i the hill toward the house houi se the house the elders went down downa hill on the opposite side presto having again es escaped cal rex mob they proceeded to ano andule v bality where they are now a perfo performing mUng their duties bears sway in the di at named hopes are entertained rea reason 80 n a ana n cl common s sense e rise drw end J j supplant the religious hatred X bitterness of feeling that now P vail other portions of the confor ereo T B fire are enjoying quietness at pr p the elders are raising their WOM warn voices and extending their th air asb no to districts where the glad ti of great joy have not pis been heard some are accod accept the truth but straight la Is t agit and narrow is the way that eai unto life and few there be that it 5 londer though persecution and an wa j are now and again mt met with in 0 id of discouraging the cc fishers Behers QA I 1 hunters whom god has sent they tend to cheer find and S the elders they know that 10 I 1 same things followed their 1 PI 0 l master and the ancient sa saint will be met by all who willm sy in christ jesus they rea ze that our light affliction which but for a moment for us far more exceeding and eternal eight beight of glory while wicked YM and crime are multiplying in the lne world wars and rumors of waft abound and earthquakes and ledges leD ces are filling mens souls W ith hh terror this gospel of the king is being preached as a witness tile ne fig tree is putting forth its es indicating that summer is bligh h speed the day bur BUB ORAR LESTON kanawha co west eginia tg inia april 10 1889 |
